EU representatives have approved the extension of sanctions against Russia.

''EU ambassadors have approved the roll-over of the economic sanctions on Russia for another 6 months,''  Rikard Jozwiak, the Radio Free Europe journalist, tweeted.

The next step is the approval of the sanctions by the EU Council, after which it will be published in the EU Official Journal and come into force, Interfax reports.

The EU economic sanctions against Russia are extended every six months. The EU summit approved at a meeting in Brussels on December 10 another extension of the EU sanctions against Russia.

Economic sanctions were initially imposed on July 31, 2014 for one year in response to Russia's actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. The restrictive measures were strengthened in September 2014.

There are other EU restrictive measures in addition to economic sanctions against Russia in response to the Ukrainian crisis: individual measures and measures in connection with the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.